Most people living in one day at a time recovery know that they will never be perfect and if we did manage to become perfect it would probably be a very lonely place. If we did manage to become perfect who could truly relate to us. As perfect people wouldn’t we always have to be in control. Would we drive so-called regular people into fits of frustration with our persistent direction and advice. Would we never have the opportunity of being able to make a mistake and say I’m sorry and I was wrong. In addition to this, what kind of pressure would we put on our kids to be just like us. And most importantly, would we believe that we’d have to be God. No thanks. Most of us have enough control issues as it is. We just want to be regular recovering people. Spiritual misfits if we may. This way we understand one day at a time recovery and we understand grace. It’s our greatest gift. Peace.
Many people who are living in one day at a time recovery understand that there are days that are hectic.
These days happen around holidays, weddings, graduations, and other days in which we are required to meet deadlines. Not only will we discover that we can do what has to be done but we also find out that we can do so while remaining abstinent. Most of the time when days are hectic we discover that there are other people who will gladly pitch in. Some people are so good at pitching in that they will delegate who needs to do what. Most of the times tasks are broken into one step at a time one day at a time and we know that we know how to do this. It’s what living in recovery is all about. There are days but we’ll be okay. Reach out. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that planning to use just once can become a catastrophic event should we decide that we are going to go ahead and chance it. Our reality is – It’s Not Just A Treat! This is the reality of addiction. We know that we were not given enough grace to find recovery because we were more powerful than our disease. We found one day at a time recovery because we admitted we were beaten and broken. Today we have a choice. We know that using is not just a treat and we choose to remain abstinent just for that day. We reach out and participate in a life-style called recovery. Thoughts of using will pass. Think it through. See reality. Remember that desperation we once had. It’s our greatest advantage. It’s a gift. Peace.
Many people who have been living in one day recovery for a fair amount of time remember the desire that we had to be accepted and praised when we were new to one day at a time recovery. We found ourselves beginning to belong when we had became people who were members of the rooms of recovery. As people who were members of the rooms of recovery we were given ample opportunity to share our stories of what it was like, what happened and what it was like now. Doing so at the anniversary of one year of continual abstinence we found ourselves being met with joyous and appreciative applause. We felt like we were rock stars receiving a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall. Honestly, we deserved to. We were becoming beacons of hope. Grace became our stories and we then found humility. Recovery becomes a gift. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the determination of our callous egos who wish to instill their power so that they may be in control of our desires, our words, and our choices. In other words they want to be the “I Am”. Our experience in early recovery (a year or two of abstinence) is just about the right amount of time for our egos to try and assert their importance claiming that they have done all of the work which has made our recovery possible. They can even become quite callous in their need to dominate or be in control. Little do they have the ability to know when they are hurting someone. Upon this realization our egos become quite humble. Reality occurs and we know that recovery was done unto us by nothing other than grace. Even our egos find humility. One day at a time recovery becomes more than a reality to us and we make better choices. We become a small part of the whole. It’s a natural part of our one day at a time maturation. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand the reality of finding and holding onto that little flicker of light. Once we find and then learn to hold onto that little flicker of light nothing, and we mean nothing, ever makes us ever let go of the reality of hope. Even on that day in which they throw dirt on our face life’s challenges will never be insurmountable. What we cannot help but to discover is the bond that we have with other recovering people. We cannot break it, we cannot lose it, and we cannot throw it away. God, the spirit, or the universe revealed themselves to us through these people. We have seen and we have lived in the reality of grace and because of this we see the reality of eternal belonging. That little flicker of light is our never ending joy. Peace.
Most people living in one day at a time recovery understand that recovery isn’t a holiday. Yes we are happy that we found abstinence and recovery and reality but recovery’s work continues every single day. We know this because we were told that everyday we are just an arms length away from using. We also know that even after years of one day at a time recovery thoughts about using though few and far between are a natural occurrence for us. When we know this we know that we are granted a daily reprieve from active addiction. Without any reservation we understand that we cannot pick up that first one. Not for Christmas, not for New Years, not for job promotions, and especially not for the birth of a child. We know recovery is never a holiday. It is work and it is grace. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery eventually become aware of the silent tears that were being shed by our loved ones. While living a life caught up in active addiction we were totally unaware that we thought only about ourselves. After years of recovery we got to understand how impaired and self-driven our own unhealthy desires really were. When we became aware of this conundrum which is often called the bondage of self many of us suffer deeply. We know the reality of remorse and regret. Even after years of recovery we still struggle. We eventually learn that in our impaired thinking we lived with an illness that took us by the hand and then dictated our actions. To put this illness in remission we became and remained abstinent. We discovered that recovery is in reality grace. It’s a gift that we truly appreciate. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery understand that gratitude is followed with work. We continue to work after good news, good outcomes, lessons learned, and other gifts that we graciously appreciate. When we recognize our gratitude we cannot help but to live with a more positive frame of mind. In doing so we become better equipped to be of assistance to others and we know that when we help others we are actually helping ourselves. What we learn to understand is that grateful people help to make other grateful people. It’s a reality of living in one day at a time recovery. Gratitude is always followed by work. It’s our way of passing the torch. It’s an act of humility. Peace.
Many people living in one day at a time recovery know that hope always is and we believe that hope always springs forth even in the most difficult of times. Often when hope springs forth we find that we felt alone and maybe even abandoned but a breath, a wish, or a cry for help becomes a moment of trust which is that even though we feel totally unprepared to deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable we find a moment of calm, a flash of courage, and a peace that comes calmly out of the blue. Some of us believe that this is what some religious people call receiving a peace that surpasses all understanding. The peculiar thing is we might even have to fall apart before this peace finds us. This is reality; hope springs forth. It’s a one day at a time reality. Peace.